BREAKFAST GROUP: Saturday May 16th, Village Inn at University and Menaul, 8:30 am. Site chosen by Joe Abbin.

CLUB WEBSITE: Be sure to check out our website at www.abqfordflatheadv8.comUpdated “current Information and calendar” is on the current information page. More club pictures on website.

FORD V8 FOUNDATION WEBSITE: Another interesting website to check out is www.fordv8foundation.org

MUSEUM CAR SHOW

The Albuquerque Museum and New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Automobile Show will be at the Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd. NW, on Sunday, May 17, 2015. This year, the show will feature “100 Years of Dodge”. All vehicles will pay a $10 registration fee at the entrance to the show at 19th St. and Old Town Rd. There is no pre-registration. Please arrive no earlier than 7:00am, no spaces will be reserved. Cars are to remain in place until 3:30pm. Awards take place starting at 3:30pm. V-8 Club members, who wish to park as a group, please meet at 7:00am in the Hotel Albuquerque parking lot, departing 7:10am.

Tumbleweed Early Ford V-8 ClubPicnic Show and Shine

When: Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015, 11am-2pm.

Where: Los Ranchos Village Hall, 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW

Yup, we’re having a picnic! We will be celebrating our Tumbleweed Group’s 40th birthday, the 52th birthday of the Early Ford V-8 Club, the 113th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company, the 63th anniversary of the flatheads final install (bummer) and the City of Albuquerque’s 310th birthday! All dates are approximate. Not to be forgotten, it is the 75th anniversary of the 1940 Fords and Art Leupold’s 90th birthday! Wow!

The festivities begin at 11 am at the Los Ranchos Village Hall. We’ll line up all those flatheads for display and analyze each other’s cars. Then we’ll have sandwiches, share some goodies and tie everything together with birthday cake. Sodas and chips will also be provided, courtesy of the club! Wow, a free lunch (donations accepted)! Feel free to bring a side dish, a salad or anything else you’d like to share with the Ford party animals. Volunteers to help and cleanup are appreciated. Let’s put on the biggest display of flatheads since 1953! Bring your friends!

We will have our popular 50-50 raffle with some nice prizes as well as the cash! Please feel free to donate items for the raffle.

Contact Joe Abbin at 296-7678 to volunteer and for details.

May Breakfast

Saturday, May 16th at 8:30am we will be meeting at The Village Inn at 2017 Menaul Blvd NE (near University).

Presidents LetterbyJeff Jackson

This weekend many of our club members took a short tour to Gallup (see the complete article in this newsletter). The tour caused me to reflect -- why do we like to tour? Is it all the attention one gets driving an old car in a group? Is it the pleasure of driving a car that has hours of work poured into it? Is it the discussions with strangers that happen as you are putting gas in the car?I think a big part of enjoying touring is seeing the country at a mellow pace. In an old car you probably aren't driving 80mph down a freeway ducking truckers and crazy drivers. In an old car on tour you are viewing the scenery at a reasonable pace, generally off the beaten path, and in areas that retain character partially in the tattered and fading signs along the road. On tour you aren't pressed to "get somewhere immediately". The group is free to stop when it wants or to change the plan during the drive and, of course, the kids are not in the back seat asking "are we there yet?" every five minutes.

My dad loved to drive. But only recently when we take him on a ride did he start to comment on the scenery. “I don’t remember seeing any of this while I was driving. This is pretty”. It is difficult to enjoy the scenery at 80mph when you are in a hurry to get someplace. It is much easier to experience the road at a comfortable pace when you aren’t in a hurry. Hurrah for touring!

President Jeff called the meeting to order. We met at A Dent Express, 2501 Candelaria NE. There were 16 members present. There were no additions or corrections to the minutes of the March meeting. Jeff gave the treasurer’s report for Treasurer D.J. We have a balance of $4784.78 in checking and $1395.91 in savings. Refreshments were skipped due to being off site for our meeting. For Sale/Wanted sheet was passed around.

Old Business:

Joyce reported that she is seeking volunteers for the Car Council’s Museum Car Show on May 17th. She brought posters for people to put up in businesses. There is an envelope stuffing party on Wednesday April 8th at the Old Car Garage. Recipe of the month for April was provided by D.J. MacAlister. Betty picked Frank Corey to supply the May recipe.

New Business:

Saturday, April 18th at 11:30 am, the club will meet at World Wide Auto/Old Car Garage for lunch. It was decided to have a breakfast on Saturday, May 16th even though the Museum Car Show is on Sunday, May 17th. Joe Abbin picked the location, The Village Inn at University and Menaul, on Saturday, May 16th at 8:30 am. There will be a board meeting at the Jacksons on Tuesday, April 14th at 7pm to finish planning our year’s activities. The April 24th and 25th tour to Gallup is coming up. It was decided to change the departure time to noon so there would be more shopping time in Gallup on Friday afternoon. Frank and Bob will review tour guidelines before we depart. We will be staying at the historic El Rancho Motel in Gallup. Jeff passed our handouts on how to make your reservations. That was also in the newsletter.

There are still a few members who haven’t renewed their memberships. We welcomed back Bob Mathes.

Next meeting is Tuesday, May 5th and will be a compare/contrast of the 1936 and 1953 cars. (Amended at April 14th Directors meeting.)

The meeting was adjourned and everyone moved to the garage area for a very interesting demonstration on removing dents without a need for repainting. Owner Lyle Wagy explained the process and Dominic demonstrated, impressing everyone with his skill.

MAY BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

Happy Birthday to:Happy Anniversary to:

Betty Leupold (21)John & Betty Shelton (27)

Art Leupold (23)

Ron Gigger (24)

Mark Williams (29)

D.J. MacAlister (30)

Minutes of the April 14th Board Meeting

Seven officers and directors were present. Ideas were discussed for future programs and activities. VP Lou will be contacting several individuals about presenting programs to the club. The program for May which is comparing and contrasting two automobiles has been changed to the 1940 and the 1950 models at Joe’s suggestion as this is the 75th anniversary of the 40 model. Location was discussed for the June charity event at a nursing home and membership will be approached to gauge interest. There was considerable interest in a Rail Yard tour so that will be pursued by Jay.D.J. volunteered to conduct a program on personal defense in June. There are many ideas to carry over to next year.

The club picnic on Memorial Day was discussed and several plans were made. The budget is $175. Joe Abbin volunteered to chair this event once again at the Los Ranchos City Hall. It was suggested that the parking lot be roped off early in the day so it remains empty for our use. Jeff will put an advertisement on Craigslist. The club hours will be listed as 11-2 with the public invited from 12-2. The menu will be sandwich trays or subs with members encouraged to bring side dishes or desserts. Joe will bring a birthday cake. There will be a 50-50 raffle. Donations towards that are welcome.

It was decided that the club has $3000-$3500 to spend to further the club purpose of education. Jay was asked and then volunteered to head a small committee to meet, form a consensus, and bring a recommendation to the club for implementation.

The board recommended that the Christmas party be a potluck this year. Details will be worked out.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm.

Gallup Tour

It was a rainy and cool Friday morning April 24th when 7 cars and 13 people gathered at Jeff and Beth's to begin the tour to the El Rancho Motel in Gallup. By 12:20 Friday afternoon when we left, the skies were cloudy but only a few drops of rain fell on the old Ford cars. Jeff and Beth were in the '41 followed by Bob and Vi in the '53, Lou and Mary in the '40, Art and Betty in the '39, Jay and Helen in the '36, Al and Jan in the '46, and Bob sweeping up in his '51. We drove up Paseo past the Double Eagle airport and down to Rio Puerco on the frontage road. After a quick stop we entered I-40 for about 23 miles before exiting at Mesita and staying on frontage roads and old 66 to Grants. There was an interesting detour in Laguna that provided an old Ford parade through a suburb of homes in Laguna. The cloudy weather remained with some blowing winds but no rain during the trip. We passed through Grants and Milan and stopped for fuel and snacks at the Loves on the west side of Milan. The trip between Milan and Gallup was straight through and we were able to stay on frontage and old 66 except for about 11 miles between Continental Divide and Iyanbito.We pulled into the El Rancho motel about 5:00 pm and checked into our rooms. Arrangements were made for dinner and everyone plus a very nice car friendly couple Al knew from Gallup met and ate at the El Rancho dining room. The El Rancho Motel was built in 1937 and the old ambiance has survived. It is a real piece of history definitely worth saying "I slept in the Tyrone Power room at the El Rancho Motel". It was interesting to walk around and view the many pictures of stars and politicians covering all the walls.Several ate breakfast at the El Rancho motel while others chose another historic establishment and ate breakfast at Earls. Earls, famous for breakfast meals and just down the street from the El Rancho, was established in 1947. As agreed everyone was ready to leave the motel at 9:30 Saturday morning (more or less on time). Before leaving the motel, knowing the weather was not perfect and a little windy, we agreed to meet back at the El Rancho at 12:30 rather than 2. Most of the group stayed together and drove to the Indian Flea Market. The Indian Flea Market was windy but provided a great opportunity for haggling and picking up jewelry for the 'significant other' or for gifts. I think nearly everyone acquired something at the market. I know Beth has earrings she wanted. By some bit of luck or fate, we parked right in the front row of vendors allowing many, many visitors to admire our cars.We grouped back at the El Rancho right on schedule and started back for Albuquerque. Oops, Jay's '36 was a little hard to start but he got it going. A word now on CB radios - they provide value for instant communication. Jeff, Art and Bob had CB radios operating during the trip. When Jay had a starting problem leaving Gallup, Bob called ahead and we pulled over to let them catch up. We planned to eat and gas up at the Loves station. By using the CB's, Jeff and Bob and Betty agreed we should eat at a restaurant. Surprising the group, they were led to the front door of The Wow Diner in Milan for lunch. A quick call ahead had secured reservations and a relaxing meal was served to the group.Jay's '36 provided a short delay due to an intermittent problem in the ignition switch. But he got going and after a gas stop we took off for Albuquerque. By the east side of Grants the ignition switch gave out and two good things happened. Bob called ahead on his CB and the group pulled off to wait, Bob rigged up a quick jumper and got Jay going again. From Grants into Albuquerque there were no issues and everyone got home just fine. A good short tour with the benefits of a relaxing evening and all ends well.

NEWSLETTER NOTE

Members are encouraged to submit articles, ads and photographs for inclusion in the newsletter.Please understand we have a volunteer Newsletter Editor so try and submit typed and proofed articles, comments, and new want ads (for sale items will continue to be updated at the meetings).The deadline for submissions is the 24th of the month. Beth Jackson, 505-908-7564, or email: JBJaxun@gmail.com

FORD CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

From the Ford Times for June 11, 1943

June 16, 1943, marked the fortieth anniversary of the incorporation of Ford Motor Company. The newspaper noted the extensive changes in the living habits of people, a large part of which was due to the birth and growth of the automotive industry. The world had never before seen such phenomenal changes take place in such a short time. Ford justifiably took credit for being a very important part of those changes.

Henry Ford took the lead in many innovations, largely due to his conviction that automobile transportation should be available to all, not just people with money. He pioneered in mass production, thus making it possible to manufacture more automobiles in a shorter time, thus lowering the price. He put labor-saving machinery in his factories, shortened work hours, and provided higher pay; this enabled his employees to purchase the automobiles they were producing. His influence spread throughout the automotive industry, as other companies followed his example, competing for lower prices and more sales.

The world of 1943 was definitely different from the world of 1903. Production of automobiles was temporarily suspended for the War effort, but homes had modern electric applicances, more shopping was available, and motorized transportation was available to all, if you could get the gas and tires.

Also in the paper was the announcement that Henry Ford was re-elected President of the company, due to the death of Edsel. He was 80 years old at the time. The other officers elected were long-time Ford employees, including Charles Sorensen as Vice-President. This insured that management would remain the same for the time being.

Another interesting item in the newspaper was the announcement that all employees were to fill out an "Employee's Withholding Exemption Certificate" required by the IRS. Beginning July 1, 1943, the law required employers to withhold taxes from paychecks and turn the money over to the government. Taxes to be deducted included income taxes and the current "Victory Tax." The facsimile form reprinted in the newspaper looked amazingly similar to the form one fills out today: what is your head-of-household status, and how many dependents are you supporting? Some things don't change much.

June 16, 2015 will mark the 112th anniversary of the incorporation of Ford. Compare a new 2015 Ford product to the 1903 model. Things have really changed!

Submitted by Joyce Clements

Joke of the Month

A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later……”Da-ad…”.“What?”“I’m thirsty, can you bring me a drink of water?” “No, you had your chance. Lights out.”Five minutes later ……. “Da-aaaaad….”“WHAT?”“I’m thirsty. Can I have a drink of water??”“I told you NO! If you ask again, I’ll have to smack you!!”Five minutes later ….. “Daaaa-aaaaad…”“WHAT!” “When you come in to smack me, can you bring a drink of water?”

May 2 - 21st Annual Summer Car Show Series at Hooters East – San Mateo – Setup 7am-10am – Show 10am-4pm, Open to all years makes and models, Entry $20 – 40 classes – 50 Special Awards, 50/5 drawing and raffle supporting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Music by: Steve’s Cruisin’ with the Oldies – 505-269-0496 or 505-332-9222 for info

May 16 - 21st Annual Summer Car Show Series at Hooters West – Alameda – Setup 7am-10am – Show 10am-4pm, Open to all years makes and models, Entry $20 – 30 classes – 25 Special Awards, 50/50 drawing and raffle supporting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Music by: Steve’s Cruisin’ with the

Oldies – 505-269-0496 or 505-332-9222 for info.

May 17 – Albuquerque Museum/NMCCC 31st Annual Car Show – Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd. NW – This year we honor 100 Years of Dodge – Cutoff year for trophies will be 1989 – joyce@nmcarcouncil.net